Hikari has always believed in merpeople—she just never expected to become one.
Forced by her mother to leave her island home for an arranged marriage in the city, Hikari takes one last boat ride to say goodbye to the ocean she loves. But when infected merpeople attack and drag her beneath the waves, a mysterious necklace transforms her into the one thing she's spent her life defending: a mermaid.
Takeo has fought to save his people for years—but he can't fight a prophecy.
As a warrior without magic in a dying ocean, Takeo has watched helplessly as saltrot, a disease that drives merpeople mad, steals everyone he loves. When Hikari's song awakens the ancient palace and reverses his mother's infection, he realizes the prophecy is real. This human-turned-mermaid might be the only hope his people have left.
But saving the ocean requires more than magic. It demands sacrifice, stolen memories, and a journey through waters infested with kraken and the infected. As Hikari learns to harness her healing songs and Takeo unlocks the magic that was sealed away from him, they must race against time to find an elder who can teach them to purify the corruption spreading through the sea.
The ocean is dying. The prophecy is awakening. And Hikari must choose between the life she was forced into and the world that needs her most.
Perfect for fans of Alexandra Christo’s To Kill a Kingdom and atmospheric dark romantasy. Dive into this slow-burn ocean fantasy packed with forced proximity, a grumpy warrior and his hopeful charge, a prophesied chosen one, and magical healing songs set against the backdrop of a dying, zombie-infested sea. Of Sea and Shame is the last book of the Five Queens Series.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Forced by her mother to leave her island home for an arranged marriage in the city, Hikari takes one last boat ride to say goodbye to the ocean she loves. But when infected merpeople attack and drag her beneath the waves, a mysterious necklace transforms her into the one thing she's spent her life defending: a mermaid.
Takeo has fought to save his people for years—but he can't fight a prophecy.
As a warrior without magic in a dying ocean, Takeo has watched helplessly as saltrot, a disease that drives merpeople mad, steals everyone he loves. When Hikari's song awakens the ancient palace and reverses his mother's infection, he realizes the prophecy is real. This human-turned-mermaid might be the only hope his people have left.
But saving the ocean requires more than magic. It demands sacrifice, stolen memories, and a journey through waters infested with kraken and the infected. As Hikari learns to harness her healing songs and Takeo unlocks the magic that was sealed away from him, they must race against time to find an elder who can teach them to purify the corruption spreading through the sea.
The ocean is dying. The prophecy is awakening. And Hikari must choose between the life she was forced into and the world that needs her most.
Perfect for fans of Alexandra Christo’s To Kill a Kingdom and atmospheric dark romantasy. Dive into this slow-burn ocean fantasy packed with forced proximity, a grumpy warrior and his hopeful charge, a prophesied chosen one, and magical healing songs set against the backdrop of a dying, zombie-infested sea. Of Sea and Shame is the last book of the Five Queens Series.
Genre: Paranormal Romance